Lassie
by KLegnard
Summary: Takes place during book two, but is an AU. series of one-shots, this is only the first part, but ther will be more. Gimli gives Legolas an annoying nickname and things spiral from there.Mainly takes place on a very long walk, but Lassie and Aragorn know how to pass time. Fluff,LegolasxAragorn.
1. Lassie

Lassie  
Legolas remained quiet for the majority of the treck, occasionally forcing a laugh at one of Gimli's awful jokes. He was still upset that he had spent so much time worrying over Aragorn, desperately searching for him, and all Aragorn cared about was his overly dramatic elf girlfriend. Legolas sighed. What did he expect? It wasn't likely that it was he who Aragorn dreamt about, nor was it he who made Aragorn feel guilty about spending time with Eowyn.  
"Lassie," Gimli called' "So, listen to this. An elf, a dwarf, and a man walk into a bar-"  
"Could you stop calling me Lassie?" the elf demanded for the millionth time.  
"Come on, I think it's adorable, Lassie," Aragorn joined in, causing Legolas to blush, then to quickly glare at the snickering dwarf.  
"Fine, Gimli, call me Lassie. See how you like it when you wake up tomorrow morning with an arrow pointed at your-"  
"Hey," Aragorn put an arm out to stop him from throttling Gimli."And you," he glared at the dwarf, "Stop harassing Legolas." The dwarf grunted, then resumed to tell Eowyn the terrible joke.  
"You didn't need to do that, "Legolas said.  
" The Fellowship is already split enough. What if that cretin over there bothers you until you snap and actually send an arrow through his skull?"  
"I suppose you're right." The embarrassed elf agreed.  
"Of course I am, Lassie," the dark haired man teased, nudging Legolas with his elbow. Legolas smirked, then pantomimed releasing an arrow at Aragorn.

.o0o.

That night, it was Legolas's turn to keep watch for orcs roaming the valley, and he noticed that tonight was unusually quiet. Most nights, you could hear the occasional wolf or fox howling off in the distance, but not tonight. It was so quit that the sound of a twig snapping behind him cracked louder than one of Gandalf's fireworks. Legolas's hand slowly crept behind him to grasp an arrow. Faster than anyone could blink, he notched the arrow and had it pointed directly at... Aragorn. Relaxing his arm, Legolas sighed.  
"Why are you up here?" asked the puzzled blond.  
"To bother you." came the reply. Jokingly, he added "You know, earlier you were pantomiming shooting me, and now you almost did. Violence is never the answer."Aragorn shot him a gleaming smile, "Bored yet?"  
"I do enjoy the quiet, but, yes. I was getting a bit bored."  
"Ah ha!" Aragorn exclaimed, "So I do have a reason to be here!" The man and the elf both took a seat on the grassy hill. After several minutes, Aragorn spoke. "You seem quieter than usual. Is everything okay?"  
"Yeah, I guess."  
"You guess? Good to know you're positive about that. Aragorn's sarcasm caused the tall elf to smile, but only for a second. "But really, What's wrong?"  
"Nothing."  
"Come on, Lassie," he pushed, using the unfortunate nickname. "You think I can't tell when something is up? I've spent months traveling with you, so, yeah, I can tell. You can trust me."  
"You're right, but-"  
"I believe that that's twice in one day you've said that now. I must be smarter than I look. And if you really don't want to tell me, you don't have to."  
"Thank you." And with that, Aragorn left.

.o0o.

"It's probably nothing serious, Aragorn. Just let him be." Eowyn said, easily blocking a side stroke from his sword.  
"I know, but I'm just..." he trailed off.

"Worried? Eowyn finished for him. Aragorn nodded. He faked a lunge left, and when Eowyn moved to block it, he used his free hand to grab her wrist. Then he lightly twisted her arm until she dropped her blade.  
"Nice work." she congratulated him. "So? Legolas is always quiet. I don't see any difference. Of course, I've only known him for a month."  
"But, women are supposed to be good with all that touchy-feely stuff. Could you please go talk to him?"Aragorn begged.  
"I guess I could give it a try." As she left the tent, Aragorn thanked her.

.o0o.

Finding Legolas was easy. He was one of the tallest people there, and he was the only person with unusually clean and perfect blond hair. Now the only problem was getting him to talk. She stepped up to tap his shoulder.  
"Legolas?" He jumped as she spoke his name.  
"Eowyn? Could you try to make more noise as you walk? I don't want to accidentally shoot you. I told Aragorn the same thing last night." He smiled."So, what brings you here?"  
"I thought you seemed a bit... out of it, recently, and..."  
"Did Aragorn send you?" the elf sighed, "I'm not a child, and I can take care of myself. Tell him thanks, but it's my problem."  
"Yes, he did send me, but now I'm genuinely concerned."  
"Why?"  
"I may have only known you for a very short time, but that was the only time you've ever said more than two words at once, because you're so straightforward,and I know that if you really wanted me to leave, you would have just said so. Just... Tell me."  
"It's Aragorn" he confided, "I..." He blushed.  
"Oh my God! You _like_ Aragorn?!" He covered her mouth with his hand.  
"Shh..."  
"Okay, I won't tell anyone." She smirked and walked off.  
Under his breath, Legolas muttered, "Shit."

.o0o.

Later that evening, Aragorn approached Eowyn.  
"Did you talk to him?"  
"Yes."  
"Well? Why is he acting so strange?"  
"I don't know," she stated with a shrug.  
Aragorn exclaimed, "What? Then wh-" Eowyn interrupted him.  
"Relax. He's fine. He just doesn't want to worry you. Why does it matter to you so much anyway?"  
"I...Uh, care about him, and want to make sure he's okay." Aragorn turned away, trying to hide the fact that he was blushing.  
"Yeah, I can tell. Wait... am I sensing an elf fetish here?" she joked. Aragorn playfully shoved her. Eowyn stuck out her tongue and shoved back, harder. Aragorn was caught off guard by her strength and tumbled into another citizen of Rohan. He quickly muttered an apology.  
"I've got to find someone," Eowyn said, running off to look for Legolas once more.

.o0o.

"Lassie!" she called, hoping to get his attention.  
"Don't you start that, too," he pleaded. Eowyn rolled her eyes. "So, what's wrong this time?"  
"Guess who I just spoke with?" the young woman teased.  
"Let me see... Aragorn?"  
"Correct," Eowyn replied in mock surprise. "Do you know hat he said? He said, well, indirectly, that he liked you. He's definitely into you."  
"Yeah right." the elf challenged.  
"Yeah. Right. Go ask him yourself." Eowyn swept her arm out as if to show him the way.

.o0o.

_'This probably isn't the best idea'_ Legolas thought as he made his way through the labyrinth of tents . _'What if he was joking? Or what if she was joking? I need to work on my ability to read people.'_ Legolas was so caught up in his worrying, that he didn't notice that he ran into someone.  
"Oh, sorry." He looked up. Aragorn was standing before him, grinning.  
"Hey, there Lassie. Where's the fire?"  
"Um, actually, I was trying to find you."  
"What for?" The darker-haired man led the other into his near by tent to sit down.  
"I know you were worried about me, and why, so I've decided to tell you why I've been acting strange." Legolas took a deep breath and tried to tell him. "I...I..."  
"It's fine. I don't need to know." Hearing Aragorn say that only made him want to tell him more.  
"I love you." There. He said it. Predictably, Aragorn was speechless. "I knew she was joking," Legolas started backing out of the tent. "Sorry. Forget I said anything. I'm sorry."  
"No," Aragorn pulled him back. "I just never thought I would here you say that. But, I... I love you too, Lassie."  
At that moment, as their lips locked, they didn't care about the final battle for Rohan, they only cared about each other. Legolas didn't even mind being called Lassie.


	2. Archery For Dummies

A/NSo, here is chapter two. Ish. This is probably about a week after chapter one. Lets just pretend that the walking in the second book actually did go on forever.

So, Legolas found an interesting tidbit of information from Gimli. About a certain someone. As it turns out, Aragorn, the amazing warrior, trained in almost every weapon imaginable, had no clue how to shoot a bow.

It was probably the first weapon an elf is trained to use, and being as Aragorn was fostered by Lord Elrond, it was strange to find that lesson overlooked. As the elf and dwarf rode just out of earshot of the dark-haired man, Gimli told him. Legolas was absolutely astounded. He felt the need to take it upon himself to teach Aragorn.

Slowing his horses pace, Legolas waited for Aragorn to catch up. When he did, Legolas called, softly so no one would hear, "Aragorn! How would you like me to teach you the fine art of using a bow? Sooner or later you will need to learn." Aragorn blushed, embarrassed. He shushed the taller blond. Legolas laughed. So it was true. He mused.

"Can we not talk about this in front of everyone?" Aragorn pleaded. This only made Legolas laugh harder.

"Come, my friend, it is nothing to be ashamed of! Besides, there is still time to learn. How about I show you the basics this evening? I've heard I am I great teacher." Snickering, the elf left Aragorn to think on his proposal.

.o0o.

Twang! Another arrow struck the tree, not inches away from where Aragorn had just been standing. The small group of onlookers-mostly children- cheered. Many evenings, to entertain the bored children of nearby towns, Legolas would go into the forest with his bow, and perform multiple tricks. After about an hour or so, the children would start calling out ideas and stunts, and Legolas would oblige. This time, a very thick child with mousy hair and pimples, probably human, had requested that he shoot an acorn out of mid-air. Sure enough, as Aragorn looked, the arrow had hit the nut, ran it through, and embedded itself into the soft bark of the tree.

"You should have seen the look on your face!" A young elf girl with long braids called. Legolas held back a grin, but Aragorn could see the corners of his mouth twitch. He sent a glare to the archer, before joining in the laughter.  
"Okay, kids! I have some work to attend to, so why don't you run along and help your parents with dinner?" A few children booed when Legolas said this, but they all looked up to him, and therefore they all listened. One child, though, stuck his tongue out at Aragorn, then ran away, as fast as he could.

"Children," he sighed, shaking his head. Legolas nodded.

"I know what you mean. So,shall we begin?"

Aragorn walked over to the Legolas, who pointed to a leather arm band laying on the ground. Aragorn sent him a questioning look. The archer just smiled and held up his arm, which had a similar leather covering. "To protect your arm from releasing the string." Aragorn understood.

Next, Legolas handed him the bow. It was already strung, but Legolas assured him that next time, he would have to string it himself. Now it was time to begin the actual training.

Legolas had set up a pair of identical targets a an equal distance from Aragorn. he instructed Aragorn to stand with his front facing the target, using the bow to sight and aim.

"Your posture is atrocious!" The elf cried, throwing his hands in the air. "Just, let me fix this." He moved towards the man, resting his hands on Aragorn's waist. Aragorn blushed at the contact, gaining him a smirk from his instructor. Legolas spun him about 90 degrees to the left, so his dominant side was towards the target. Then he placed his hands on the man's shoulders.

"Sight with your shoulder, not the arrow point."

Legolas supposed that he would have to take it easy on him, because even though he was an elf, he was quite impatient. Once, back in Mirkwood, he had been teaching a young elf how to play the chalumeau, and she was a bit musically challenged. Of course, Legolas had a problem with that. Lets just say that she no longer comes to Legolas for her lessons.

Legolas reminded himself that this was Aragorn, and he would remain calm. Noting that Aragorn was now properly in position, they could begin. Stringing his own bow, Legolas moved next to Aragorn, in line with the second target.  
"So, now that you're in position, I will teach you how to aim without the arrow falling short." Aragorn nodded to signal that he was ready to move on. "Okay. Now remember, never shoot straight at the target from this distance. At least not with a bow that slow and clumsy. Always aim a little bit higher to compensate for the arch. For now, I have the targets lined up at a distance where I can tell you how much to compensate, but soon it will be easy enough for you to figure it out on your own."

Once again, Aragorn nodded in understanding. "Here, you see where I have marked the center of the target? That is where you want to hit. Because these targets are below eye-level, you won't have to make up for much. Do you notice the smaller 'x' about three inches above the center? That is what you want to have in your sights." Legolas shot an arrow as an example, and it hit the center dead-on. After Legolas retrieved the I damaged arrow, Aragorn shifted his arm to aim.

Legolas bowed his head, knowing already that this shot would miss. He let the brunette try anyways. Figuring that you have to learn from your mistakes, his mouth remained shut.

As he predicted, the arrow fell short of the wooden post, instead striking the ground and Imbedding itself in the soil.

The elf laughed, but stopped shortly after seeing the pained look on his friend's face. "What happened?" He raced to the ranger's aid.

"I- string- ouch, holy shit, that stings!" Finding Aragorn in no real harm, Legolas laughed. "I thought that this arm band was supposed to stop the string from hitting my skin!" He glared at the elf prince, who was currently holding his sides and gasping in air. "It's not funny!"

Regaining his composure, Legolas taunted,"Now you sound like one of those kids, whining and pouting. Should I go get mommy to give the boo boo a kiss?"  
"Why don't you?" Aragorn challenged. He wasn't surprised when Legolas did.  
Maybe they would just continue this lesson later...

A/N: So, there goes the second short of Lassie... Did you like it? Read, rate, review, reinvent love, whatever you must do


	3. How to Set Up A Tent, and How to Use it

Summary: takes place the day after the Archery for dummies chapter, in return for that "lesson", Aragorn attempts to show Legolas one of his own skills. Things don't exactly go as planned...

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"Hey, Lassie!" Aragorn slid up behind the elf. Legolas glared at him, the nickname Lassie still not his favorite, but a smile broke through and he and Aragorn cracked up laughing.

"You know, we should probably thank Gimli for coming up with that. Or not, he would probably tease you even more, " the man slung his arm around his companion's shoulder. Then, smiling he added,"And I still need to thank you for our little 'lesson' yesterday. "

"Your welcome, fine sir!" Legolas bowed ridiculously, his hair falling into his face. "Though, I still think you could use improvement. A lot of improvement." At this, Aragorn stuck out his bottom lip in a forced pout. He wasn't that bad, considering he had never shot a bow before, and he was human. Archery wasn't exactly a skill that came naturally to men than it did to elves. Fortunately, Aragorn would rarely have the need to shoot. He was skilled enough with the sword.

"Tell you what." Aragorn started,"How about I teach you how to set up a tent, so I have something to mock you about."

"What makes you think that I can't set up a tent? I have spent the greater part of my life traveling." The elf replied.

"Because I've seen what you sleep under. Don't even try to tell me you're just lazy! Come on, it'll be fun!" It was true, instead of sleeping with the rest of their companions, Legolas sat in a secluded spot underneath the stars, with his green hooded cape propped above him as a rain shield. And when Aragorn said it would be fun, he meant it would be fun to watch the elf struggle with a simple task that most children are capable of.

The elf finally gave in, due to the puppy-dog eyes Aragorn was now sending his way. "Alright. How about tonight? Then we can just get this over with. "  
Aragorn nodded. "Deal."

. . . . . . .otp.

It was a clear night, and stars shone down upon them like the eyes of past travelers, who had gotten lost on the road. When Legolas said this aloud, Aragorn replied by saying that that was the creepiest thing he had ever heard. It really wasn't.

Aragorn had brought along all of the supplies they needed, and they were now scattered across the grass before them. Their inventory included a set of wooden rods, a thin, sheet-like fabric, and a few fresh apples. They chose this spot because it was out of the way of everyone else, and if Legolas screwed up, he would be saved from embarrassment.

"Ready?" Aragorn asked, dramatically sweeping his arm over their pile of junk. Legolas nodded and stepped to pick up one of the rods. Aragorn continued: "It's simple, really. You start by taking one of those rods and you stick it into the soil, as deep as you can get it." Legolas followed this direction, but was stopped by Aragorn telling him to leave enough of it above ground to drape the cloth over. The exasperated elf pulled the rod out further, sighing. "You couldn't have told me that earlier?" This gained a mischievous grin from Aragorn. Aragorn tosses him the next pole, and despite the elf's supernatural reflexes, it skittered to a halt beside an old oak tree. Legolas bent down to retrieve it, giving his 'teacher' a good reason to blush. Before Aragorn could look away and hide his flushed face, Legolas had straightened and spotted him staring.

"How about we finish this, and you can ogle later. This was your idea, after all." Aragorn had already taken the second pole from Legolas and trust it into the ground. There was one more step until they were finished. He grasped one end of the cloth and threw the other to his student. Together the two of them draped it across the rods. One end of the tent was taller than the other, and the middle sagged a bit, but it was theirs, and they loved it.

"Come on, I want to see how the inside looks!" Legolas excitedly dragged his Aragorn to the tent. From the inside, it didn't look much better, it was only a sheet draped over two big sticks, and there wasn't much to look at, only the apples in the corner that had remained uneaten. Aragorn moved to put his arm around Legolas, who nestled into his side. While Legolas was jokingly admiring their failed project, Aragorn turned him around so they were facing each other.

"Lassie, I love you." Said Aragorn, looking into the elfling's eyes. For the second time that day, he blushed, waiting for the elf to respond.  
"I love you to, Ari." Aragorn looked puzzled.

"What?"

Legolas shrugged. "I just thought that if you were going to call me Lassie all the time, I would..." He trailed off.

"Well, I think it's adorable." He embraced the elf, even though Legolas was about a head taller. The two remained in that position for a while, until they heard a voice.

"Legolas? Aragorn?" The noise startled Aragorn, who jumped backwards, and tripped over earlier's discarded fruit. Flailing for a moment, he grasped Legolas's hand. In a jumble of legs and arms, the couple tumbled onto the ground, taking the tent with them.

"Um... Hi? Am I interrupting something" Eowin asked. Legolas shook his head no, and Aragorn turned away sheepishly. "Oh, okay. I was wondering of either of you had any apples left over? My horse is hungry again, and I'm out..." Add her nervous shuffling to the fact that they did have apples, which were the reason they were in such a compromising position, Aragorn and Legolas couldn't help but laugh. Eowin looked confused, but let it slide, as Aragorn had found one of the apples in the tangled mess of the tent and handed it to her. As she retreated, neither Legolas nor Aragorn moved, just sat there enjoying each other's company in silence, under the stars of lost travelers.

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A/N Sorry, cheesy and short. But that's how I work. If you don't like it, don't read anymore. Read, rate, review, or not, whatever works. Bye!


	4. A Little Fall Of Rain

A/N: Sorry this took so long, I got a bit distracted. I'll try to update more. Sorry.  
Anywho, shall we dive in?

The rain started two days ago, and had yet to stop. Legolas could hear it splashing and tapping on the ground outside. He was thankful that he and Aragorn had finally managed to pitch their tent correctly. It was cold, even inside, and Legolas shuddered to imagine being under the stars in this weather.

He felt the warmth of Aragorn's skin against his own and relaxed into the man's side. Remembering the events that took place earlier he blushed, though there was no one there to judge him. Looking back, though, Legolas wondered how he even ended up in the embrace of another man, a male human who was already in love with another elf. He was thankful it had happened to him, and he prayed to the gods that they could remain like that.

Legolas's mind slowly drifted to recent memories leading up to this moment. He remembered when Aragorn had gone missing, and in a mad craze, Legolas searched for him. The emotions, lust, love, and worry, that ran through his mind boosted his adrenaline so that no matter how tired he was, he would keep searching. He would never have given up.

Legolas also remembered archery. It was a skill that came naturally to him, but not so much for his human companion. Laughing, he pictured Aragorn's face as he concentrated hard on how to hold the bow, how to position his fingers. When his laughing caused Aragorn to rustle in his sleep beside hike, his mind wandered to the face Aragorn made when Legolas laid his hand on his hip to fix his posture. But most important to him was the face Aragorn made right before their lips made contact. It was one of surprise, but also of satisfaction. The touch of Aragorn's lips on his was warm, not unlike the touch of Aragorn's hand currently residing on Legolas's back.

Legolas thought of tents. He thought of failure and success alike. No matter how much trouble he was having, Aragorn was always there to help, or to mutter words of encouragement. He thought of tents collapsing, feeling embarrassment only to laugh at himself later. Of course, Aragorn had no problems with embarrassment. He just shrugged it off the way he did with anything else that was awkward or strange.

And Legolas remembered Lassie. He never did thank Gimli for that, as it would give the dwarf something else to gloat about, but he still felt it. Late at night, Legolas and Aragorn would stay up under the stars, and Aragorn would sigh and call him by the nickname. Legolas would playfully shove him, and Aragorn would shove back, which escalated to heated make out sessions in the most concealed of places.

Opening his eyes in the darkness, Legolas smiled. He smiled for Aragorn, still sleeping by his side, he smiled for Gimli, whose awful jokes led to the most interesting conversation, he smiled for Eyowin, who was there to defend the odd elf and man couple, and lastly, he smiled for rain, the rain that was falling now, the rain that had reminded him of his love, and the rain that showed him that things could only get better. After the rain, there comes the sun, and after defeating Sauron, they could be together.


End file.
